Watch-case



(ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. .0. P. MORRILL.

WATCH GASE.

Patented Feb. 22, 1887.

(Model) a Sheets-Sheet 3. C. P. MORRILL.

WATCH CASE.

N0..358 ,403. Patented Feb. 22, 1887.

wwmem: 6 ef fvvue w tmz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. MORRILL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

WATCH-GAS E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 358,403, dated February22, 1887.

Application filed September 4,1886. Serial No. 212,074.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GHARLEs F. MORRILL, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in \Vatch-Oases, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide certain improvements in theconstruction of watch-cases, whereby greater tightness and betterprotection ofthe movement against dust, &c., are secured; also, toprovide certain improvements in the springs which retain and open thecovers of the watch-cases.

To these ends my invention consists in the several improvements which Iwill now proceed to describe andclaim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 represents a front view of an open-face watch-case embodying myimprovements, the bezel or front cover being open. Fig. 2 represents afront view of the movement-holding portion detached from the covers.Figs. 3 and 4 represent, respectively, inside views of the back coverand the bezel. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 represent, respectively, sections onlines a .r, y y, and z 2, Figs. 2, 3, and 4. Fig. 8 represents atransverse section of thecasc shown in the preceding figures, the bezelor front cover be ing closed. Fig. 9 represents a slight modification ofthe construction shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 represents a front View of ahuntingcase having my improvements, the front cover being open. Fig. 11represents a similar view to Fig. 10, the movement-holding portion beingremoved and the opening and catch spring being inclosed in the back,instead of in the movement-holding portion. Fig. 12 represents a sectionon line 00 00, Fig. 10, the case being closed. Fig. 13 represents asection on line 3 y, Fig. 11, looking in the direction indicated by thearrow in said figure. Fig. 14 represents a sectional View of the pendantand a part of the case. Figs. 15 and 16 represent case-springs. Fig. 17represents a sectional View of a case of modified form.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all thefigures.

In the drawings, a represents the movementholding portion of the case,which is shown in Figs. 1, 8, 9, 10, 12, and 14 as in the form of anordinary ease-center, so far as its interior sur- (Modeh) face isconcerned, narrow flanges or shoulders 2 3 being provided to support'thewatch-movement in the usual manner, and a central annular recess, 4, toreceive the case-spring, said recess surrounding the movement holdingspace of the movement-holding portion.

'1) represents the front cover, (shown as a glass-holding bezel in Figs.1, 4, 8, and 9, and as a huntingcase lid in Figs. 10, 11, 12, and 14,)and 0 represents the back cover. Said covers I) and c are connected by ahingejoint, d, of any suitable kind, said joint connecting the covers toeach other. The exterior of the movement-holding portion and theinternal surfaces of the covers I; c are so formed that the said coversentirely inclose the movementholding portion, as shown in Figs. 8, 9,and 12. The movement-holding portion is provided with risers orshoulders e, formed to coact with similar risers or snap-edges,f, on thecoversb c, said covers being detachably secured to the inovement-holdingportion by the engagement of their risers or snap-edges with those ofthe movement-holding portion. The covers are so formed that when thusengaged with the movement-holding portion their edges will abut againsteach other, and will be held together by the described engagement withthe movement'holding portion, and either cover may be openedindependently of the other, there being no direct connection between thetwo covers, excepting that afforded by the hinge-joint.

An important part of my invention consists in providing each of thecovers I) 0 with a set or plurality of risers or snap-edges, f, and themovement-holding portion with a corresponding set or plurality ofrisers, e, arranged to coact with those of the covers, so that eachcover is engaged with the movement-holding portion by not less than tworisers or snapedges. The joint between the covers and movement-holdingportion is therefore made doubly tight and dust-proof.

It will be seen that by constructing the covers b c to entirely inclosethe movement-hold ing portion and meet outside of the edge of the same Iam enabled to provide each of the covers and the movement-holdingportion with a plurality of risers without increasing the thickness ofthe movement-holding portion, the entire outer surface of themovementholding portion being available, as none of it is exposed as inordinary watch-cases. Each cover may therefore have two risers orsnapedges, or even more if desired, the movementholding portion having,of course, a corresponding number.

In Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive, two risers or snapedges for each cover areshown, while in Fig. 9 three risers or snap-edges are shown for eachcover. I do not limit myself, however, to the employment of a pluralityof risers or snapedges for all the covers, as one cover may have but oneriser or snap-edge and the other a plurality.

In a hunting-case watch the front cover, which is of necessityfrequently opened, may have but one riser or snap-edge, while the backcover may have two or more. The movement-holding portion is preferablyseparable from the covers b c and has a pendant, 13, which passesthrough recesses j j, formed for it in said covers. If desired, however,the movement-holding portion may be connected by a hinge to one of thecovers, or may be connected to both covers by the joint (Z.

The movement-holding portion in the hunting-case shown in Figs. 10 and12 has a spring, k, located in the annular recess 4 of themovement-holding portion, and preferably of such length that it extendsentirely around the movement-holding portion, as shown in full anddotted lines in Fig. 10. Said spring is provided with an arm or offset,Z, which bears against the front cover, I), as shown in Fig. '12, andpresses the latter open, and with two catches, m m, at opposite sides ofthe pendant, said catches being formed to engage the front cover, twoopeningsbcing formed in the movement-holding portion for said catches.It will be seen that the two catches formed on one spring hold the frontcover more securely than a single catch, and are capable of beingdisplaced simultaneously to release the front cover by the inwardmovement of the winding bar or stem 0 in the pendant, a shoulder on saidbar bearing 011 the spring between the catches m m, as shown in Fig. 12.

Figs. 11, 13, 14, and 16 show a spring, 7;, applied to the cover 0 underthe inner riser or snap-edge, f, thereof. Said spring has a singlecatch, m, and an offset, 1*, projecting toward the stem 0, so as to beacted on by the shoulder thereon. (See Fi 14..) The rear side of thependantz' is cut away to allow the offset 1' to project into thependant.

I do not limit myself to the plurality of risers in a watch-case, inwhich a movementholding portion is employed which is entirely inclosedby the covers. In Fig. 17 I have shown a case which is composed of buttwo parts-viz., a seamless shell, 8, which holds the movement, and afront cover or bezel, I), hinged to the shell at d. The cover I) andshell shave each two risers or snapedgcs, f f and e e, the result beingthe same as in the construction previously described so far as thetightness of the fit of the cover upon the movementholding portion ofthe case is concerned.

I claim-- 1. A watch-case in which the risers or seats for the externalparts or covers are arranged in sets, each set comprising two ormorerisers formed to engage sinmltaneously with two or more correspondingrisers or snap-edges on one of the external parts or covers of the case.

2. In a watch-case, the combination of a movement-holding portion havinga set or plurality of risers arranged to engage simultaneously with acorresponding series of snapedges on a single cover or hinged portion,and a cover or hinged portion having a plurality of risers or snap-edgesadapted to simultaneously engage the said set of risers on themovement-holding portion, as set forth.

3. A movement-holding portion having a set or plurality of risers foreach cover or hinged portion, combined with the covers or hingedportions formed to entirely inclose and cover the n'iovement-holdingportion when closed, and each having a set or pluralityof snapedgesformed to engage simultaneously with the corresponding set of risers onthe movement-holding portion.

4. A watch-case in which the back and front covers are hinged togetherand formed to entirely inclose the movement-holding portion, one or bothof said covers being provided with a plurality of risers or snap-edgesformed to snap onto corresponding risers on the movement-holdingportion, as set forth.

5. A watch-ease back, bezel, or cover having a plurality of risers orsnap-edges adapted to simultaneously engage corresponding risers on amovement-holding portion, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 1st day of Septembcr, 1886.

CHARLES F. MORRILL.

Witnesses:

(J. F. BROWN, J OHN Lone.

